Man who falsely accused police to apologize

THE young man who falsely accused two Winnipeg police officers of taking him on a "starlight" tour two years ago is expected to make a public apology this morning.

The Winnipeg Police Association said Evan Maud will issue an apology for his actions at the Broadway offices of Onashowewin at 10 a.m.

Evan Maud lied about police in 2010.

However, Onashowewin, an agency that operates an aboriginal restorative-justice program, wouldn't confirm the apology was to take place.

Evan Maud made national headlines when he claimed in early December 2010 that two officers drove him to the city's outskirts late at night, stripped him of his coat and left him there to walk back to the city. Maud also claimed he was kicked off a Winnipeg Transit bus when he made it to the city.

But the allegations quickly unravelled when global-positioning-system devices on the officers' vehicle showed it never left the city.

Further proof came from video surveillance from two Winnipeg Transit buses, which showed Maud on the buses when he was supposed to have been walking in the freezing cold. They also showed he was never kicked off.

Maud was charged with mischief for making a false report.

Winnipeg Police Association president Mike Sutherland said Maud had been involved in a mediation process, adding he was told more than a week ago that the apology would take place this morning.

Sutherland said since the false allegations received so much media attention, the WPA wanted to ensure the apology received equal recognition by announcing what they had been told.

"We're not looking for a pound of flesh," Sutherland said. "But (the apology) is the least he (Maud) can do."

Sutherland said a civil suit the WPA had prepared against Maud was put on hold, adding whether it resumes will depend on the apology and whether it is sincere.